


Deviations From the Plotted Course

by Anonymous



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aquaphobia, Gellert Grindelwald Has A Twin Sister, M/M, Summer of 1899, Young Albus Dumbledore, Young Gellert Grindelwald, very cliche i know, yeah that's pretty much it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26125330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: What if there was a third person there in 1899? What if there was someone to change things? What if it didn't quite turn out the way it was supposed to?Gellert Grindelwald has a twin sister. And things will not be the same.(This is very cliche, I know. I wrote this back when Crimes of Grindelwald came out, so like almost two years ago now, and I figured why not post it? Maybe somebody'll enjoy it.)
Relationships: Albus Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald & Original Character(s), Albus Dumbledore & Original Character(s), Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, Gellert Grindelwald & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 5
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

“Lucia!” Gellert calls from behind me. I spin around to see my brother leaning against the doorframe of my bedroom door. I sigh.

“What did you do this time?” I ask tiredly. He’s always getting into trouble. Sometimes I feel as if he doesn’t care about anything. They do say that I am the only person that he truly loves.

“We just got a letter. They’ve kicked me out. Durmstrang will not let me go back after the summer holidays,” he says, standing and walking towards me. My mouth falls open.

“Gellert—”

“It’s alright, Luce. I’ll be staying with Great-aunt Bathilda.” No. If he goes, I won’t be there with him. I am the only person who can keep him in check. Besides, he’s my twin. I love him, and he’s my best friend.

“What about me? Did you think about that before you went and did whatever stupid thing it was that you did to get expelled?” I ask angrily. I know that my brother is dangerous, and I know that he had been doing some sort of experiment at school, but I didn’t know that it had been that bad.

He sighs and puts his hands on my shoulders. “Luce—”

“Don’t you ‘Luce’ me, Gellert Grindelwald!” I snap, shoving him away. “You have no sense of right or wrong, and you don’t think about the impact of your actions. Ever!” In the past few years, he has grown the several inches that allow him to tower over me. But that doesn’t stop him from wincing as I scowl at him. He shies away, not looking me in the eyes. 

“I do think, Luce. I just didn’t realize—”

“If you are going to Britain, then I am coming with you,” I say. He sits down on my bed and runs his hands through his chin length golden hair.

“I don’t know if—”

“I will,” I say firmly, sitting next to him. “I am not letting you go all the way to Britain without me. We’re twins, Gell. We’re best friends. We stay together. Always.”

He nods and wraps his arms around me. “I’m sorry, Luce. I really am.”

“I know, Gell.” He softly blows out a breath as he leans forward to pick up the necklace I am wearing. He toys with the pendant for a moment before letting it drop. It is a triangle with a circle inside of it and a line down the middle. The symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Or, it used to be. Now it is much more widely recognized as the symbol of the Grindelwald twins. Gellert has an identical pendant around his neck. Suddenly, I realize something.

“Britain… Great-aunt Bathilda… she lives in Godric’s Hollow! That’s where—”

“Ignotus Peverell was buried,” Gellert finishes with a grin. I flop back on the bed with a bark of laughter.

“You are an absolute _genius_ , Gell!” I cry. “Ignotus Peverell! I can’t believe it.”

“We’ll be that much closer to retrieving the Hallows and overturning the Statute of Secrecy,” he says, smiling. I laugh again nudge his shoulder.

“We’re going to rule the world,” I murmur. He shakes his head.

“No. We’re going to _change_ the world. Change it for the better. You know that we can do it. Together, we’re practically unstoppable.” His voice is strong and determined.

“Fine,” I say with a grin. “We’ll change the world.”

“Yes, we will.” 

I stand, remembering the reason for this conversation. “I have to go and convince Father to let me go with you. When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow,” he says softly. I turn and stride from my room. All the way down the hall, I can feel my brother’s gaze boring into my back. It’s unnerving in a way that it shouldn’t be.

I head downstairs. “Father?”

“What is it, Cia?” my father’s voice calls from his office. I hurry over and stand in front of his desk, feet planted firmly in the ground.

“I want to go to Britain with Gellert,” I say determinedly. Rikard Grindelwald sighs and rubs his temple, looking away from the paperwork he is doing.

“Lucia—”

“He’s my twin! You cannot send him away without me, Father. We belong together,” I say pleadingly. “Please.”

He sighs. “You are right that you should stay together, Lucia. I love your brother, but he is a danger to others, and you are the only one who can temper him. You may go. Great-aunt Bathilda will deal with the last of your education. Gellert’s as well. Bathilda will be here to get you in the morning.” I smile and hug him.

“Thank you, Father.”

\---

Bathilda does indeed show up early the next morning to take Gellert and I back to her house in Godric’s Hollow. We use a Portkey, because it’s too far to Apparate. We land right in front of the house, and I stare up at it. It is nice enough, I guess. Gellert makes to follow Great-aunt Bathilda inside, but I catch his arm, jerking my chin toward the house next door, where two auburn-haired boys stand on the porch, watching us. They are clearly brothers, and the elder of the two, looking about a year or two older than us, has blue eyes that seem to pierce my soul, a lot like my brother’s do. The other boy, who looks about our age, maybe a little younger, is eyeing us with distrust. The older one jumps down off the porch and comes over to us, the younger boy trailing uneasily behind his brother.

“Albus Dumbledore,” the older boy says, holding out a hand for Gellert to shake. My brother shakes it, looking almost predatory as he sizes up the other boy. Gellert has a way of watching a person that is highly unnerving. His mismatched eyes only amplify the creepiness of it.

I nudge his shoulder in a silent reprimand and he shakes himself slightly and smiles at Albus Dumbledore.

“Gellert Grindelwald,” he says. I dip my head to Albus.

“And I am Lucia Grindelwald.”

“We’re twins,” Gellert puts in. I wriggle my fingers at him and smirk.

Albus smiles. “It’s nice to meet you. This is my younger brother Aberforth.”

I nod to the other boy. “Hello.”

Gellert grins at me, that predator’s smile, and slings an arm over my shoulder. “What do you even do around here? Kind of a… small town.”

I sigh and turn to the Dumbledore boys. “I apologize for my brother. He’s very rude.”

Albus gives me a small smile. “There’s no need to apologize.”

I return the smile, then cock my head. “Why are you here? Aren’t you old enough to have graduated from Hogwarts?”

He sighs and nods. “My mother died recently, right after I graduated. I have to stay here and take care of my brother and sister. Our father has been gone for a long time.”

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly. “Our mother died of a wasting sickness when we were only two. By the time we realized something was wrong, it was too late to save her. Father has been distant ever since.”

Gellert nudges me. I know what he is trying to say. _Why are you telling all this to a complete stranger?_ I nudge him back. _It’s not a secret or anything._

“What school do you two go to?” Aberforth asks warily. I look over at him with a grin.

“Durmstrang Institute,” I say with a flourish. Albus’ brow furrows.

“I thought that was an all-male school,” he says. I laugh and wink at him.

“It is. They made an exception for me.”

“Why?” Albus asks.

“It was partly because of Gellert that I was let into Durmstrang, but a lot of it was also that I am equally as skilled or perhaps even a shade more powerful than my brother. They simply couldn’t pass me up,” I tell him with another wink. Aberforth rolls his eyes and meanders away, muttering something under his breath. 

I grin at his retreating back. “Anyway, _Albus,_ it was nice to meet you too.”

And with that, I turn and saunter into the house, leaving Gellert behind with Albus.

I see Bathilda heading upstairs and follow her. She sees me and leads me to a medium-sized bedroom with two single beds.

“You and Gellert will stay here,” she says. “You are welcome to everything in this house.” She smiles at me, and summons Gellert’s bags and mine from downstairs with a flourish of her wand before rambling out of the room. I drop my brother’s bag on the foot of the bed on the left, and mine on the foot of the bed on the right. Aside from the beds, there are two small wardrobes, one against the left wall and one against the right, and a desk and chair between the beds. I put my clothes away in the wardrobe on the right, then wander downstairs to find some food, since I haven’t had breakfast yet. Gellert comes in just as I pull a loaf of fresh bread from the cupboard. He raises an eyebrow at me.

“What?” I say. “Bathilda said I could!”

He laughs. “You’re always hungry, aren’t you?”

“I haven’t had breakfast yet! Neither have you!” I exclaim. Gellert rolls his eyes.

“I had breakfast, Luce. I woke up before you did,” he says. I growl playfully at him and tear a hunk of bread off of the loaf. Gellert flicks his fingers impatiently.

“Come on, Luce, let’s go see the cemetery,” he says eagerly. I sigh and rip another hunk of bread from the loaf in my hand before putting it back on the counter and following him back out the door.

“I asked Albus for directions,” Gellert tells me as he strides confidently down the street. I swallow a mouthful of bread. It’s good stuff.

“Albus. What did you think of him?” I ask. Gellert shrugs.

“He’s smart. He said he was top of his class at Hogwarts. Maybe we can recruit him, too. He seems fairly powerful.” I tear off another chunk of bread off with my teeth, purring with amusement.

“You assess people way too much, Gigi,” I say with a wink. Gellert winces.

“Please don’t call me Gigi, Luce,” he says, cringing. I look up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Is Gigi too informal for the great Gellert Grindelwald?” I ask innocuously. Gellert sighs and rolls his eyes but stays silent as I finish my bread. We reach the cemetery and spread out to search for Ignotus Peverell’s grave. I scan the headstones. No… not that one… no… there!

“Gellert!” I call. “I found it!”

My brother runs over and looks over my shoulder as I read the inscription out loud:

“Ignotus Peverell, death 19 May 1292, birth 12 July 1214.”

I look over at Gellert with a wide grin on my face.

“We found it,” he whispers. I grab his hand and squeeze it as I start to laugh.

“We actually found the grave of Ignotus Peverell,” I say. “We found it.” I smile widely at Gellert and then transform. We became Animagi just this last year. It had been my idea to try, and we found some old books on it. We achieved it in January. We have been called the Wolf and the Lioness for almost all of our school years, so it is fitting that we transform into those creatures. I am a sizeable golden lioness with piercing blue eyes; Gellert is a large, golden-furred wolf with ivory fangs.

I shift and curl around Gellert’s legs, rumbling deep in my chest. He laughs softly and swings himself up onto my back, settling himself into a comfortable position. I race around the graveyard until I stop, panting, and he tumbles off my back, transforming into his wolf form and nipping me playfully on the shoulder. I snarl and snap at him, sending him dancing backward. He huffs a wolfish equivalent of a laugh and wags his tail.

Suddenly, I get the feeling that we are being watched.

Gellert’s head snaps up and he stares into the trees behind us. He shifts back to human form and I copy him, stalking after him as he strides toward the trees. A boy steps out, eyes wide.

Albus.

I jerk to a halt, startled. “Albus?”

“Animagi,” he breathes. “You’re Animagi.”

Gellert nods slowly, the deadly gleam still in his eyes. “Yes. And we were stupid enough to shift _here_ of all places.”

“How is that stupid?” Albus asks, looking between the two of us.

I laugh. “And they say you’re the smartest wizard of our age. We’re unregistered, Dumbledore.”

Albus looks down and rubs the back of his neck. “Oh. Well, I won’t tell anyone.”

I am completely bewildered. “Why?”

He looks up at Gellert and I. “Because not telling is the right thing to do.”

I glance at my twin. “Okay… thanks?”

Albus huffs a laugh and we stand in an awkward silence for a few minutes before he looks down again and murmurs, “It’s… amazing, actually. I’ve heard of Animagi, but I’ve never met one.” He looks up with a grin. “Or two.” Almost against my will, a wide grins spreads across my face.

“Welcome to the club, Dumbledore. Want to help us take over the world?” I ask. Beside me, Gellert smirks at Albus as the Dumbledore bites his lip.

“I’m in,” he says at last. “You know, you’ll never get rid of me now, Grindelwald.”

“Oh, I know,” I say with a smirk to match my brother’s.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And here's chapter two! Let the research commence!

I leaf through the pages of an old, dusty history book that Gellert found in Bathilda’s attic.

“Ugh,” I grumble. “There’s nothing that is any good in here.”

Gellert sighs. “I haven’t found anything either. Want to take a break? We can go find Albus.”

“Yes, please! These books are so dense.” We are in the room we are sharing, reading through a large stack of fat old books, trying to find anything related to the Deathly Hallows.

Gellert stands from where he was perched on the desk and sets down his book. I jump up from my bed, dropping the tome I was reading. It lands on the bed with a soft _thunk_. Gellert looks over at me, a few strands of hair escaping from the messy bun at the nape of his neck.

“Don’t kill that, Luce,” he says mildly. “We might need it later.”

“Like hell we will,” I mutter, but I close the book and set it on the desk nonetheless. Gellert strides out the door and down the stairs, with me on his heels. I grab an apple from the kitchen counter on the way out the front door. I pause at the edge of the yard to polish it on my shirt. Gellert is striding confidently for the Dumbledores’ house, so I follow him, taking a bite of my apple. It’s good. Juicy and sweet without being _overly_ sweet, but not sour either. Apples that are too sour are just sad. I take another bite. It’s crunchy, too. Very crisp, like… like a crackly leaf. Crackly but juicy.

“Luce!” Gellert’s voice breaks in on my thoughts. My head snaps up.

“Sorry, what?” I ask, slightly sheepishly. Gellert sighs.

“Were you even paying attention? Aberforth said that Albus went up to the overlook. Come on.”

I follow my brother through the streets of the town and into the woods as he heads for the overlook. We find Albus sitting on the edge of the large rock, feet dangling over the edge, a sketchbook in hand, drawing the valley below. The town looks quaint and picturesque from up here.

Gellert approaches Albus and sits next to him, but I notice that he does not put his feet over the edge. My brother is afraid of heights, even though he tries to conceal it. We all have our fears. Dark water presses against my mind, but I ignore it and move over to sit on Albus’ other side, casting a pointed look at Gellert as I let my feet hang off the cliff. His cheeks flush pink and I smirk before looking down at Albus’ drawing.

“Whoa, Al, that’s… really good,” I say, surprised. Albus looks over at me with a small smile.

“Thank you.”

I nudge his shoulder playfully. “I didn’t know that you were an artist.”

Albus cocks his head as he glances down at Godric’s Hollow and changes a detail of the church bell tower. He works in silence for several moments before he replies.

“I don’t usually tell people. It’s just my way of helping myself interpret the world. Everyone does it, in some way. And, besides, it’s nice to have something that’s _mine,_ since the rest of my life isn’t.” His voice is soft, but his words carry weight. I stare out over the valley, rolling his words over in my head. He’s right, anyhow. Almost everyone does something artistic, like drawing, or playing an instrument. I guess that it is, in a way, just a method of dealing with reality. I… write. I write out my understanding of the world in stories and poetry, but Gellert is the only person who has ever read any of my work. Gellert plays with magic. It’s a dark, dangerous hobby, but he’s good at it.

“Surely some part of your life belongs to you,” Gellert says softly, snapping me out of my reverie for the second time that morning. I need to improve my focus.

“No,” Albus murmurs, setting down the sketchbook. “It doesn’t.”

I glance over at them and see that Gellert has taken Albus’ hand. I bite my lip and glare at my brother. He looks up at me, and I angrily jerk my head toward the trees behind us.

“Excuse me, Albus,” he says and lets go of the other boy’s hand before standing and following me into the trees. As soon as we are out of eye- and earshot of the Dumbledore, I slam my brother against a tree.

“Dammit, Gellert, you can’t take advantage of him like that,” I snap. I’ve witnessed him cozying up to so many people over the past few years, and no matter how many times I try to make him stop, he keeps doing it. “You have to stop flirting information and allegiances out of people.”

“How do you know that I’m not actually flirting with him, Luce?” Gellert retorts. “Maybe I actually like him.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it. You’ve known him for two and a half days. And I know you too well. You know that he desperately wants someone to free him from his responsibilities as head of his family, and that he will follow you anywhere if you offer him what he wants the most: freedom.” My voice is like ice. Gellert winces.

“Luce, I—”

“No! You have to stop this, Gellert! You think that I don’t see what you are becoming, but _I do_! I’m your sister. I see _everything._ I’m supposed to protect you, and that means protecting you from yourself, too.” He looks down.

“I…”

I sigh and lean against him. “I know that you are trying to find your way in a broken world, Gellert. I know that you want to change it. I want that too. But you have to do it as _yourself_ , not as Gellert Grindelwald. If you do it as him, you will be captured and killed. You will be hailed as the greatest Dark Wizard of all time, but you will be hated and feared. But if you are not a Dark Wizard but a _revolutionary,_ you will be the greatest wizard the world has ever seen. _We_ will be the greatest. And… Albus will be there too, I think.”

“Have you seen it? Are you sure?” he asks.

“You know full well that being Seers does not mean we understand things, or are sure of them. And no, I did not _see_ it. But… I sensed it.”

“So am I allowed to flirt with Albus now?” Gellert asks teasingly.

“If you don’t try to take advantage of him,” I say. Gellert nods.

“I understand, Luce. And I will not take advantage of him, I promise.” I smile and punch him in the shoulder.

“Just make sure you keep that promise, Gigi.”

“Stop calling me Gigi!”

I laugh and head butt him in the chest. “Gigi.”

“Well, I think it’s kind of cute.” I freeze at the sound of the voice. Gellert and I both turn slowly to see Albus standing between two large trees, his sketchbook tucked under one arm. He smirks. “You should have seen the looks on your faces.”

“How much did you hear?” I ask slowly. Albus’ smile stretches wider.

“You’re Seers?”

Gellert nods resignedly.

“And, Luce, no need to worry about him taking advantage of me. I knew what was happening the entire time.”

“You did?” I ask, shocked. Albus smirks again. I can see why Gellert likes him.

“Why do you think I followed you?”

I sigh and turn to Gellert. “Looks like your boyfriend can handle himself well enough. I’m going back into town.” I start to pick my way down the hill towards Godric’s Hollow. 

Albus follows me, clapping a still-stunned Gellert on the shoulder as he passes. “I have to go pay up. Looks like I lost this one.”

“You made a _bet_?!” Gellert exclaims, sounding strangled. I pause and look back. Albus laughs, glancing back at Gellert over his shoulder.

“Yes, with Aberforth. I bet against you trying to pull something like that, he bet for it. Looks like I have more faith in you than your own sister.” And with that, he disappears into the woods, leaving a dumbfounded Gellert behind. I smile at my brother.

“He got you good, Gigi.”

My brother sighs. “Well, it looks to me like our duo just gained a new member.”

“We can call ourselves the Trio of Doom!” I say.

“Let’s not do that.”

“Hmm… the Trio of Anarchy?”

“Hell no.”

“The Triumvirate of Terror!”

“Merlin save me.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albus and Luce bond, then angst, then scheme.

“Ugh, Britain is so _wet_ ,” I whine. “Tell me again, Al, why did I want to come here?”

Albus laughs from his perch above me in the tree in the Dumbledores’ yard that has become our favorite haunt. It had rained the night before, and a drizzle was falling from the sky _yet again._ Stupid Brits and their stupid rain.

“To find the Deathly Hallows, remember?” he replies. It has been several weeks since the day at the overlook, and a steady friendship has sprung up between Gellert and I and Albus. Aberforth keeps his distance, but the youngest Dumbledore, Ariana, spends some time with us. There is something different about her, but I do not know what it is.

“Well, yes, but we didn’t know it would be this wet,” I grumble. “And it was Gellert’s idea.”

“Everything you complain about is Gellert’s idea.” I glance up to see Albus smirking down at me. I stick my tongue out at him and settle into a more comfortable position on the branch I am balanced on.

“Not _everything._ Just _most_ things,” I protest. Albus snorts and leans back.

“He has good ideas too, I guess,” he muses.

“Of course he does, he’s a goddamn genius,” I remark.

“So are you, arguably.” I raise an eyebrow at that.

“ _Arguably,_ so are you.” Against his will, Albus laughs. When I stick my tongue out at him again, he makes a vulgar gesture at me.

“He really is smart, though,” Albus muses a few minutes later.

“Who, Gellert?” I ask absentmindedly, examining a drop of water clinging to a leaf.

“Yes.” Something about the way he says it makes me look up.

“Al?”

“What?” he asks defensively. Oh, something is definitely up. I clamber up to where Albus is perched and settle myself on a branch next to him. He looks away from my probing gaze.

“Al? Come on, whatever it is, you can tell me, you know,” I say gently. Sometimes things just need to be said. I put my hand on his forearm. Albus shakes me off.

“It’s nothing, Luce,” he says, turning his head away, but I see the color staining his cheeks.

“You _like_ him, don’t you?” I ask. Albus hesitates, then nods. I bite my lip. How to say this?

“They say… they say that I am the only one he has ever loved,” I begin. “And I’m his _twin sister_. I do not know if he is even capable of loving anyone else, or loving romantically. He is a dark, dangerous person, and you have to realize that. He… is not like you or me. He rages. He burns. He destroys. He is pain, he is fury, he is ruin.” Albus’ head is bowed, his eyes closed. I lift his chin and he opens his eyes, sparkling with unshed tears. “But I love him nonetheless. He is not bad. He is just different. And you are a good influence on him, Al. I can see it. He… shows you his other side, the side that I am the only other person to have ever seen. Sometimes it feels as if there are two of him: Gellert Grindelwald, the boy who will do anything to accomplish his goals, who will _force_ his visions to come true, and then there is Gellert, the boy I love, the brother who has always loved and protected me. He… is just so powerful. It is terrifying sometimes to see what he is capable of. What _both_ of us are capable of. But all he needs is people who love him. We just need to guide him down the right path. And I am not sure if that path will be painful and difficult, or beautiful and tranquil. But I will be by his side no matter what, and I hope that you will be too, Albus.”

Albus does not move for a moment, but then he nods. “I’ll be there, Luce.”

I grin widely at him and take his hand. “We’ll help him.”

Albus squeezes my hand and I bite my lip. There is something else that I need to tell him.

“And, Al?”

“Yes?”

“Gellert… is not the only one of the two of us who could bear watching. I… have just as much of an affinity for pain and ruin that he does. I like to think that I tend to err more toward the ‘light’ path, but there is no guarantee that I will… I don’t know what I’m trying to say… I’m just trying to warn you,” I murmur. Albus cocks his head.

“I wouldn’t worry, if I were you,” he says. “About yourself _or_ Gellert. You’re revolutionaries.”

I look up. His words have filled me with a strange kind of confidence that I have never felt before. It feels good to have someone other than Gellert believe in me.

“What are you doing?”

I wince at the familiar voice and look down at Gellert. “Just talking.”

He rolls his eyes. “Sure, Luce. Now get down here! I have something important to tell you!”

I drop down from the tree and land lightly beside my brother. Albus lands next to me a second later. Gellert grins at the other boy and grabs his shoulder.

“I know where it is!” he cries, shaking Albus’ shoulder. Gellert seizes my hand in his free hand and squeezes it. “The Elder Wand! I know where it is.”

“Really?” I shriek. “Where is it?”

Gellert laughs. “Gregorovitch has it! I don’t know how he got it, but he has it!”

“Gregorovitch?” I ask, surprised. “I wouldn’t have thought to check with him.”

Gellert shrugs. “Well, he has it. You were the one who gave me the idea, actually, when you told me about how Loxias murdered Barnabas Deverill and took the Elder Wand from him. Loxias named it the Deathstick, which made me think of—”

“Deathstick Kalin!” I exclaim. Gellert grins.

“Exactly! He always claimed that he was Gregorovitch’s great-grandson, so I checked and… well, Gregorovitch has it.”

“Luce, Gell, can you please explain what you are talking about?” Albus breaks in. I wince.

“Sorry, Al. Gregorovitch is a wandmaker, and there was a boy named Kalin in our year at Durmstrang, and in our third year, he insisted that everyone call him Deathstick Kalin. He was always saying that he was Gregorovitch’s great-grandson. Nobody believed him, though,” I say.

“That’s because he never told the truth. In our fifth year, he said that he had become an Animagus and had turned into a dragon and eaten his grandmother,” Gellert says. “He died last year when he tried to open the Forbidden Door on the twelfth floor. Nobody knows what happened. Some eleven-year-old found him dead, slumped in front of the door with a lockpick in his hand.”

Albus shudders. “I feel bad for the poor kid.”

I wince. “Me too. His name is Vladimir Krum, if I remember correctly.”

“You do,” Gellert says. “Vladimir Krum.”

“Okay, okay,” Albus cuts in. “So, how do we get the Elder Wand from Gregorovitch?”

“You tell me,” Gellert challenges. “You’re the genius.” Albus rolls his eyes but throws Gellert a smirk.

“Really, Gell? _I’m_ the genius?”

“Yes. You got a problem with that?”

“Cut it out with the alpha male bullshit, boys,” I snap. “We have an actual job that we actually have to do, and if neither of you are willing to be the genius, I’ll do it.”

“Fine, Luce, we’ll behave,” Gellert sighs, tossing Albus a look. I drop my face into my hands.

“Will you two stop being fake mushy and solve the damn problem!” I yell. Gellert grins at me and slings an arm over my shoulder.

“Sorry, Luce,” he says. I glare up at him but make no move to get out from beneath his arm.

“Apology accepted,” I sigh. “Now, do we have any idea if Gregorovitch has any kind of security?”

Gellert shakes his head. “I don’t know. Al?”

Albus shrugs. “No idea.”

I lean back against the tree, crossing my arms. “We could just… wing it?”

“That would pathetic coming from the smartest wizards and witch of our generation,” Gellert says. I roll my eyes.

“Well, we’ll need to do a recon mission, at least,” I say. “Who should do it?”

“You could do it, seeing as you’re a giant cat,” Albus says.

“I feel like that’s a reason for me _not_ doing it. What’s your reasoning?” I ask.

“Cats are sneaky.”

“Oh, for the love of—”

“Back on task,” Gellert cuts in. I sigh.

“Fine. You could do it, Gigi.”

“If we are going by Animagus forms, then neither of us should do it,” Gellert says.

“Why?”

“We’re both bright yellow, idiot!” he exclaims.

“Okay, buddy, you’ve gone too far! I am not bright yellow! I am a very beautiful shade of gold,” I shoot back. Albus sighs.

“ _Back on task_ ,” he says.

“Right, sorry,” I say. “So, are you saying Al should do it?”

“No, I’m saying that we shouldn’t choose based on Animagus forms.”

“Look, I’ll just do it,” Albus says. I shrug.

“Okay. Gellert?”

He hesitates for a split second before nodding. “Fine. Tomorrow night. Together, Al and I will Apparate to his town. A few blocks from his house there is a park. I will wait there while Al goes and spies on Gregorovitch. When Al knows what we need to know, he’ll come back and we will Apparate back here. If he isn’t back within two hours, I will go after him.”

“Great plan, Gigi, except that I’m coming too,” I say.

“Luce…”

“Of the three of us, I’m the most powerful. If something happens, I need to be there. I’m coming.” My voice brokers no room for argument. Gellert sighs and nods.

“I just want to keep you safe.” I smile and squeeze his hand.

“I know. But I am capable of keeping myself safe.”

“Okay, okay.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The recon mission

The next evening, we meet in the cemetery. Albus and I lock eyes, and I remember the conversation the two of us had a few hours ago.

_“Gellert is top priority,” Albus had said. “We can’t let him get hurt, He’s our weakness. Both of us.”_

_I nodded. “Yes. It’s a good thing to keep in mind in general as well, especially once there is risk of one of us being captured. If they get Gellert, we’re both in trouble.”_

_“If they take one of_ us _, though, the other can keep Gellert from doing something stupid.”_

_"Exactly.”_

Albus gives me a subtle nod, which I return.

Gellert and I join hands, my brother reaching out to take Albus’ hand as well. There’s no point in putting it off. I concentrate on the park we chose for our landing point and tip forward into the space between that park and me. The darkness squeezes, suffocating me, bringing back memories of dark water and a crushing pressure on my chest. I start to panic, but then cool air hits my face and I am stumbling out of the void and back into reality. I lean against a tree, breathing deeply to shove the memories away. I exhale and turn to Albus and Gellert. The Dumbledore is studying me, looking confused.

“Luce…?” he asks hesitantly. I shake my head, and he nods and looks down. Gellert casts me a concerned look, but I sigh and look away.

“I’ll be back in two hours. If I’m not—”

“We come get you,” Gellert says. “We went over the plan plenty of times, Dumbledore.” Albus holds up his hands.

“I know, I know. Just making sure.” He disappears into the gathering darkness. As soon as he is out of sight, Gellert pulls me into a gentle hug.

“I’m sorry, Luce. I know that Apparation is hard for you. I should have found another way.”

“’S’okay,” I mumble. “This was the best way.”

“I know,” Gellert says as he pulls back and studies the tree I am still leaning against. There is a low branch on the other side of the trunk, and Gellert grabs it and swings himself into the tree. He reaches a hand down to help me up, but I ignore it and lift myself into the tree on my own.

We sit in a comfortable silence for about an hour and forty-five minutes, but as the two-hour mark ticks closer, Gellert becomes restless, shifting around. Eventually he climbs down from the tree and paces around the base. I’m getting worried too. Just as the spell Gellert cast goes off, telling us that it has been two hours, Albus appears from the darkness. Gellert grabs the other boy and embraces him, relief washing over his face. Albus melts into the embrace, seeming perfectly content where he is. They stay locked together until I clear my throat and drop from the tree. Gellert steps back, his cheeks flushing red. I grin broadly.

“You’re too cute,” I say. Gellert squares his shoulders, ignoring me.

“What did you see?” he asks Albus. The Dumbledore grins.

“This’ll be easy. I didn’t see _anything,_ aside from a few basic security spells. I expected more, but it seems that Gregorovitch is just sloppy.”

“Let’s go home,” I say. “I don’t like this place.” Gellert nods.

“We should go,” he says, reaching for my hand. I grab Al’s hand and squeeze my eyes shut as the space around me folds in. Again, the suffocating panic closes in, but a moment later, I’m free, stumbling out of the darkness and into the Dumbledores’ front yard. My chest heaves as I take in deep gulps of air. Albus looks at me curiously, and I sigh.

“When we were eight, Gellert and I were playing by a river. It had rained the night before, and the river was almost overflowing. Our parents didn’t know that we were down there. They thought we were in the backyard. We… we were playing a game by the edge of the water, jumping from rock to rock. I slipped and fell into the river and I couldn’t get out. The water dragged me under and…”

“And you almost died,” Gellert says. He looks at Albus. “She was underwater for two and a half minutes. When I saw her go under and not come back up, I thought she was dead.”

I wince. “I washed up a ways downriver. The only reason I survived was because I got caught by an eddy and washed ashore.”

Albus looks at me. “That sounds terrifying. No wonder you’re afraid of Apparition.”

I shrug. “We all have our fears. Gellert’s afraid of heights.”

“True,” Gellert says with a wince. “No reason, though, it’s irrational.”

I roll my eyes. “Come on, let’s ask Auntie if we can have some cookies!” I yell the last few words over my shoulder as I dart off toward Aunt Bathilda’s house. Gellert and Albus hurry after me.

“You’re acting like a two-year-old,” Gellert calls, but I can sense the humor in his voice. And I know he can sense my need to act carefree to push it all off.

And I love him for that.

**Author's Note:**

> Congrats for making this far into my weird AU! Tell me what you thought in the comments! (if enough people like this I might pick it up again lol)
> 
> My tumblr is @fuckin-fudge-nutter if you want to come talk to me!


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